Projectile



sept 26 1944 J. H. wlLsoN l 2,358,899

PROJE'CTILE Flled April 9, 1941 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 ATTORN EYS Sept. 26, 1944. Y J. H. wlLsoN 2,358,899

PROJECTILE Filed' April 9, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR E* mmwad ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 26, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROJECTILE` John H. Wilson, Bay Shore, NL Y.

Application April 9, 1941, Serial No. 387,740

.4. Claims. (CL 102-62) This invention relates to projectiles and has for an object to provide an explosive incendiary projectile which will be more effective against modern insulated and self-sealing air craft fuel tanks than conventional projectiles. Y

A further object is to provide a projectile having a slow burning powder charge adapted to ignite fuel `leaking from the tank because of rupture in the tank walls made by penetration of the projectile, the projectile also having an explosive charge, such as T. N. T., adapted to rupture and destroy material and personnel approximately simultaneous with the ignition of the incendiary powder charge.

A further object is to provide an impact detonating projectile having a firing pinrictionally held tight against the wall of a recess in the nose of the projectile so that the firing pin cannot cause accidents during handling of the projectile, but can only be actuated by the force ofimpact of the projectile against a target.

A further object is to provide a projectile which will be mechanically destructive to afgreater extent than ordinary projectiles by reas'onlof hooks which are released laterally to extend-from the projectile upon movement of the firing pin -due to impact, which'hooks by virtue ofaxial rotation of the projectile, disrupt, tear and rupture a. substantial area of material around the projectile. 1

A further object is to provide a projectile. of this type which may be conveniently handled and used against machines such as tanks, armored cars, mobile artillery, gun` implacements and other war material, to produce both destruction and burning of the material at thesame impact.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong, simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of` order.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction `and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the linvention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal'sectional viewof a projectile constructed in 'accordance vwith 'thenvention.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of a modied form of projectile showing a plurality of longitudinal chambers in the shell Wall for high explosives rather than a single chamber as shown in Figure 4. 4

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a moded form of projectile showing pivoted hooks and means for operating the hooks by movement ofthe firing pin.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showingthe hooks extending laterally from the projectile in operative position.

Figure 9 is a cross sectional view taken on the line '9 9 of' Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view taken on the line III- III of Figure 8.

Referring noW to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, I!) designates the cylindrical steel body of the projectile, the samey being proi vided `externally near the rear end with a rotating band I I, as is customary. The projectile body is rprovided with an axial longitudinal powder chamber I 2 adapted to contain a slow burning incendiary powder charge I3. The projectile body is also provided with an annular chamber I4 concentric with and outside of the axial chamber -I 2 adapted to contain a high explosive chargelIS, such -as T. N. T. The nose I6 of the projectile is integral with the body and the body of the projectile is closed at the rear end by a base plug I'I, having a reduced extension I8, which is threaded into ithe 'rear end 'of the powder chamber, as shown at I9. The plug is provided with a circumferential groove 20 in which the end of the shell case 2l, containing the propelling charge 22, is crimped .as is customary in fixed ammunition. The plug is also provided with an axial bore v23 closed by wadding 24 at the rear end and containing some of the slow burning powder charge I3 at the front end. The wadding is blown out by the ignited powder charge to open the bore 23 for `escape of the flames and sparks from the ignited powder charge.

A plurality of openings `25 are formed in the wall of the powder chamber adjacent to the nose ofthe projectile establishing communication -between-the high -fexplosive chamber I4 and powonating the powder charge I3.

der chamber I 2 so that when the incendiary powder charge I3 is ignited at the rear end of the charge as will presently appear, there will be an almost inappreciable lag before the explosive charge I5 of T. N. T. or the like is` exploded by the burning powder charge in the openings 25.

The rear end of the wall of the powder chamber l2 is reinforced by Va spider 26 having an axial tubular hub 21 provided with a shoulder 28 at the rear end to support a cap 29 for det- 'I'he front end of the hub is provided with a shoulder 3D against which a guide disk 3i is lodged to support a firing pin 32.

The rear end of the pin is slidably fitted in an axial opening 33 formed in the disk. A collar spring 35 is sleeved on the firing pin between the collar and the disk to hold the pointed rear end of the firing pin spaced from the cap 29. The ring pin extends through the slow burning powder charge I3 and through an axial opening 36 formed in the nose I6 of the projectile. A recess 31 is formed in the nose ofv the projectile to receive a disk head 3B `formed on the firing pin at the front end thereof. The disk head frictionally engages the wall ofthe recess 31 and prevents movement of the firing pin except under force of impact of the projectile against a target so that safe handling of the projectile is assured. t

In operation, when the projectile impinges l34 is formed on the firingA pin, and a helical l Y jectile.

against a target of any character whatsoever,

the force of the impact will drive the firing pin 32 rearwardly to explode the cap 29 and ignite the incendiary slow burning powder charge I3.

The ignited powder charge blows out thev wadding 24 so that the sparks and flames escape through the bore 23 of the base plug I1 and set fire to the target, as for example, escaping motor fuel from the ruptured wall of an insulated self-sealing fuel tank penetrated by the projectile. The ignited powder charge I3 in the openings 25 detonates the high explosive charge I5 to break the shell into fragments with consequent damage to the target and material and personnel adjacent to the target of .whatever character the target may be, whether an airplane or mechanized troops and material.

In Figure 6 is shown a modified form of projectile body, the body being identical in all respects with the body I0 above described, with the exception that an annular series of cylindrical chambers 39 are formed in the wall 40 of the body to accommodate the high explosive charge, instead of a single chamber as shown in Figure 4. The chambers 39 communicate with the axial slow burning powder charge chamber 4I through the medium of radially disposed passages 42, preferably arranged adjacent the nose of the projectile, as previously described.

A modified form of the invention is shown in Figures '7 to 10 inclusive. In this form of the invention the only differences over the form just described are in the addition of hooks and means for operating the hooks from the firing pin, and for the sake of brevity, these parts will be referred to by additional respective reference characters, while the parts of thel projectile which are identical with the form shown in Figures l to 5, inclusive, will be designated by identical reference characters.

In the modified form of the invention, a plurality of hooks 43 are mounted in respective longitudinal recesses 44 formed in the body I0 of the projectile so as to normally lie flush with the wallof the body and not -project therebeyond. There are preferably four hooks pivoted at the rear' ends on pivot pins 45 which `are mounted in openings 46 in the Wall of the body.

The hooks are provided with notches. 41 in which the outer ends of operating arms 43 are engaged through recesses 49 formed in the wall of the axial powder chamber I2 and the inner 4ends of the arms are lodged in sockets 50 formed in a collar 5l which is integral With the firing pin 32.

Frangible wire bands 52 are shrunk into grooves 53 formed on the outer faces of the hooks. The bands hold the hooks against being thrown outwardly by centrifugal force when the projectile is in flight.

lAs best shown in Figure 7, the arms normally are inclined forwardly from the hooks. When the head 38 of the firing pin is dislodged rearwardly due to impact to explode the powder charge and detonate the high explosive charge, the collar 5I will be carried rearwardly with resultant spreading of the arms 48 to burst the hook retaining bands 52 and swing the hooks 43 outwardly to project from the body of the pro- In this position, due to axial rotation of the projectile, the hooks will cut and tear an annular path in the vicinity of and exteriorly of the body of the projectile to increase the damage to the target, as for example, to more completely rupture and rip open the insulated selfsealing wall of an air craft fuel tank.

Since the operation of the projectile has been described as the description of the .parts progressed, it is thought that the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

l. A projectile comprising a cylindrical body, a cylindrical chamber in said body filled with a high explosive charge, a percussion cap arranged in the rear end of the cylindrical body for explod ing a charge, a rod movable through the charge and extending beyond the nose of the `projectile and adapted to explode the cap upon the inward movement thereof, a plurality of hooked members pivoted in the wall of the cylindrical body and normally held inwardly beyond the periphery thereof, and links pivotally connected to said hooksl at their outer ends and their inner ends pivotally connected to the said rod, whereby the inward movement of the rod to explode the cap forces the hooks out beyond the periphery of the cylindrical body.

2. A projectile comprising a cylindrical body, a cylindrical chamber` in said body filled with a high explosive charge, a percussion cap arranged in the rear end of the cylindrical body for eX- ploding thecharge, a vrod movable through the charge and extending beyond the nose of the projectile and normally held spaced from the capy and adapted to explode the same upon the inwardmovement thereof, a plurality of hooked members pivoted at their rear end in the wall of the cylindrical body and normally held inwardly beyond the periphery thereof by the outward position of the rod, links pivotally connected to said hooks at their outer ends and their inner ends pivotally connected to the rod, and a fragile ring arranged in beyond the periphery of the cylindrical body and holding the hooked members in their inward position, whereby lthe inward movement of the rod to explode the cap forces the hooks out beyond the periphery of the cylindrical bOdy 3. A projectile comprising a cylindrical body, an axial powder chamber in the body, an annular powder chamber in the body exteriorly of the axial chamber, there being an opening affording communication between said chambers at the forward end of the projectile, a plug connected with the body and closing the rear ends of said chambers, said plug having a bore forming a continuation of the axial chamber, a spider having a tubular hub disposed in the rear end of the axial chamber, a cap in said hub, a guide disk mounted in the hub, a firing pin engaged through the guide disk, a spring connected to the tiring pin to yieldingly hold the same spaced from the cap, there being a, recess in the nose of the projectile and a head on the lring pin frictionally engaging the Wall of said recess adapted upon impact to move the ring pin rearwardly endwise to explode the cap.

4. A projectile comprising a cylindrical body,

an axial powder chamber in the body, an annular powder chamber in .the body exteriorly of the axial chamber, there being an opening affording communication between said chambers at the forward end of the projectile, a plug connected with the body and closing the rear ends of said chambers, said plug having a bore forming a continuation of the axial chamber, means at the rear end of the axial chamber operated by impact of the projectile to detonate the powder charge therein, a ring pin, a plurality of arms carried by the firing pin, a plurality of hooks pivoted on the body of the projectile and normally lying flush with the exterior thereof, said arms engaging the hooks and moving the latter outwardly when the firing pin is moved rearwardly endwise upon impact of the projectile and frangible means for holding the hooks against outward movement by centrifugal force when the projection is in night.

JOI-1N H. WILSON. 

